Comments on: LaRoche gets his well-earned praisehttp://natsinsider.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise/
News, analysis and commentary from someone who has covered the Washington Nationals since Day 1Sun, 02 Aug 2015 22:22:37 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.com/By: natsfan1ahttp://natsinsider.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise/comment-page-1/#comment-111273
Thu, 17 May 2012 17:59:24 +0000http://natsinsider.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise#comment-111273In the interest of balanced reporting, plenty of folks had good things to say about ALR a few days after the negative posts that were pulled from the archives and pasted above.
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Thu, 17 May 2012 16:42:41 +0000http://natsinsider.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise#comment-111245I get this urge to lambast anyone harping on our medical staff, but then I read a comment like the one from Mischelle and all is well. MicheleS said… TRex.. that's why we are fans/arm chair GM's… I think it's in the fan job description to question every decision made every second of the day. May 17, 2012 11:07 AM
]]>By: natsfan1ahttp://natsinsider.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise/comment-page-1/#comment-111242
Thu, 17 May 2012 16:25:22 +0000http://natsinsider.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise#comment-111242I'll trade you an "good, old-fashioned country hardball" for a "spit on it." (Just kidding. I don't really mind any of the phrases, no matter how many times I hear them.)And FP, if you're indeed reading this, please tell Bob to give "spit on it" (for taking a pitch) a rest. A little of that goes a long way.
]]>By: Section 3, My PFB Hitterish Sofahttp://natsinsider.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise/comment-page-1/#comment-111230
Thu, 17 May 2012 15:58:29 +0000http://natsinsider.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise#comment-111230all the muscle pulls are a matter of strength and conditioning especially in the core balance. particularly when you injure it by high-fiving people.
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Thu, 17 May 2012 15:56:24 +0000http://natsinsider.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise#comment-111229LoveDaNats said ….@LDN, I think FP has said he misses it, more than once.And FP, if you're indeed reading this, please tell Bob to give "spit on it" (for taking a pitch) a rest. A little of that goes a long way.
]]>By: Gonathttp://natsinsider.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise/comment-page-1/#comment-111228
Thu, 17 May 2012 15:55:57 +0000http://natsinsider.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise#comment-111228Section 3, My PFB Hitterish Sofa said… There were just as many of these injuries in the '60s. They just called them groin pulls back then.I thought the oblique muscles were in the side, around the ribs. Or are you just pulling our … umm, leg? May 17, 2012 11:39 AM ___________________________If thats the case, Ryan Zimmerman last Spring Training had the oblique issue and the groin pull.Definitely 2 different injuries and these oblique injuries and all the muscle pulls are a matter of strength and conditioning especially in the core balance.
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Thu, 17 May 2012 15:49:09 +0000http://natsinsider.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise#comment-111226Good discussion for Desi and I think NatsLady really nailed it. It seemed everyone that tried the leadoff last year not only failed, they went into a slump immediately. I still think that's what ruined Roger Bernadina's season last year because if you take out his leadoff ABs where he batted a horrible .209 and look at the rest of his ABs in other lineup spots, Bernadina had a BA of .319. Shocking, isn't it?Its amazing what the mental mindset does to your game and Davey is a numbers guy which is why Bernadina has been batting 2nd and Desi has been taking one for the team at leadoff.
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Thu, 17 May 2012 15:41:52 +0000http://natsinsider.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise#comment-111222Also, in the pre-free-agent days, they were more likely to play through injuries, I am told, tho I don't have numbers, which should be available, come to think of it. SO somebody probably knows that one. Did they go on the DL more often after free agency, and thus higher salaries/greater investment on the club's part?
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Thu, 17 May 2012 15:39:20 +0000http://natsinsider.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise#comment-111216There were just as many of these injuries in the '60s. They just called them groin pulls back then.I thought the oblique muscles were in the side, around the ribs. Or are you just pulling our … umm, leg?
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Thu, 17 May 2012 15:37:24 +0000http://natsinsider.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise#comment-111215Hilarious, 90% of the posters on this blog were calling for LaRoche's head and "Morse to First!."Well, maybe not quite 90%. Half that, maybe, though.
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Thu, 17 May 2012 15:28:54 +0000http://natsinsider.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise#comment-111212NatsLady, well said on Desi. If we view him as a Shortstop instead of as a leadoff hitter, he is in the upper half offensively as a SS and #7 in runs scored and #8 in batting average and #16 in OBP.Ian's OPS is 17 points above Troy Tulowitzki and 57 ahead of Jose Reyes.
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Thu, 17 May 2012 15:24:18 +0000http://natsinsider.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise#comment-111210For what it's worth, I think Desmond likes the lead-off spot. He's a speed guy; he likes bunting for base hits; he likes stealing bases. He's a gap guy, extra base, put the pressure on the defense; not a real power hitter. Where else in the lineup would that set of skills be more useful? Possibly batting second but right now they've got a 6'3", 225# No. 2 hitter. What Desmond needs to do is learn to draw maybe one more BB per week. I think he'll do it, eventually.
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Thu, 17 May 2012 15:09:53 +0000http://natsinsider.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise#comment-111207Maybe someone who understand physiology better than me can tell me why in the last 5-10 years more oblique pulls and other things like that are occurring than back when I first started watching baseball in the early 60's.There were just as many of these injuries in the '60s. They just called them groin pulls back then. Think about it. In the '60s, everyone had a groin pull and you never heard about obliques. Now all you hear is obliques, and no one ever has a groin pull any more. And there wasn't any medical breakthrough like the polio vaccine that eradicated groin pulls, either. They just changed the name.
]]>By: MicheleShttp://natsinsider.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise/comment-page-1/#comment-111206
Thu, 17 May 2012 15:07:17 +0000http://natsinsider.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise#comment-111206TRex.. that's why we are fans/arm chair GM's… I think it's in the fan job description to question every decision made every second of the day.
]]>By: T-Rexhttp://natsinsider.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise/comment-page-1/#comment-111204
Thu, 17 May 2012 15:02:49 +0000http://natsinsider.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise#comment-111204Hilarious, 90% of the posters on this blog were calling for LaRoche's head and "Morse to First!."What a fine bunch of baseball managers you all are.
]]>By: Manassas Nats' Fanhttp://natsinsider.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise/comment-page-1/#comment-111203
Thu, 17 May 2012 15:01:37 +0000http://natsinsider.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise#comment-111203Nats' Lady I was not one who ripped ALR, but did rip the medical staff, and still do. Morse's situation a perfect example. Originally going to be a week then two, the mid June. Had they started the non baseball activities at first, the time would be over now.Same for Storen. The problem started in late February to early March, and not taken care for another month. Done in a timely manner, he would be back in mid June. Maybe someone who understand physiology better than me can tell me why in the last 5-10 years more oblique pulls and other things like that are occurring than back when I first started watching baseball in the early 60's. Is it because they do more weight training. If so maybe we need to do less of that.
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Thu, 17 May 2012 14:50:27 +0000http://natsinsider.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise#comment-111200NatsLady @ 10:38 — very well put, concisely summarizes a lot of insight about Desi and the team.To some degree Desi may also have put himself into (or further into) that mindset because Davey needed him to. Not the ideal leadoff hitter but unless you bench Espi and leadoff Lombo — which is a lot of pressure on a rookie and isn't going to happen with Davey managing unless Espi totally fails to get his hitting game together — who else do we have to lead off?
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Thu, 17 May 2012 14:42:27 +0000http://natsinsider.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise#comment-111198SCNats, I would agree with you except I don't think Desi does feel more comfortable lower in the order. I think Espi does, especially when he's struggling but Desi's a bit of a showman and doesn't mind the spotlight.
]]>By: SCNatsFanhttp://natsinsider.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise/comment-page-1/#comment-111197
Thu, 17 May 2012 14:39:29 +0000http://natsinsider.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise#comment-111197I don't think you can blame Desmond for not being a lead off hitter; he's been thrust into that role and if he feels more comfortable hitting lower but leads off for the good of the team then how do you hold that against him.I for one thought LaRoche would have a good year but never thought it would be like this and I'm on record in ST as saying that. He's been consistent thru his career so I don't know why he wouldn't return to the norm once his injuries healed.
]]>By: NatsLadyhttp://natsinsider.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise/comment-page-1/#comment-111196
Thu, 17 May 2012 14:38:40 +0000http://natsinsider.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/laroche-gets-his-well-earned-praise#comment-111196Gonat, yes, and Desi likes the leadoff position, he fancies himself getting a single or double to start off the game right. Doesn't always happen, of course, but that's his mental image. Just like Storen wants to be the last man off the field, Desi wants to be the first man on it.That may not suit us as fans, with our stats and images of what a leadoff hitter should be, but if it suits Desi and the team, then I'm for it.
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